This Week’s Events: Free Gelato, Rooftop Dinner, Cricket Talk

August 12, 2013

If the sight of your beach towel and bathing suit is driving you crazy, remember there’s a time and a place for everything. After all, without appreciating Monday so little, we wouldn’t love Friday so much! Here’s a round-up of what’s happening this week in the world of food and drink, which should get you painlessly through to the weekend.

You may want to think twice the next time a fly lands in your soup–bugs can be delicious, and many cultures eat them. Cricket farming technologies inventor Jakub Dzamba will explore insect rearing, and attendees will have the chance to taste cricket canapés as well as receive a crash course in the study of bugs as food. You can also check out a curated collection of books, journals, and archival material on entomophagy. Tickets are $25 in advance and include tastings; a cash bar will be available to help wash down Jiminy.

The Gelato Garden, The Old School, 233 Mott Street, Thursday, 2 p.m.

Helping people deal with break ups for three decades, Ciao Bella celebrates its 30th anniversary with a day of free gelato and sorbet. The event, held in the courtyard of a former elementary school, will also feature wine after 7 p.m. along with live music until 10 p.m. Reserve your admission for free ice-cold treats, and take advantage of one of the most unique outdoor spaces in the city.

Rooftop dining without aggravating your landlord is a skilled art form. So head to someone else’s roof: Brooklyn Grange and Slow Food NYC team up for this dinner; Parker Red will provide all of the essentials, including a menu featuring farm-to-table courses like poached lambs tongue salad. Along with cocktails and a three-course dinner, the night will feature a discussion of the rooftop farm by the Brooklyn Grange founders as well as an overview of dinner by executive chef Christopher Jackson. Tickets can be purchased online for $125.